Safety rope socket for well tubes



' y 6, 1953 c. R. PIGOTT SAFETY ROPE SOCKET FOR WELL .TUBES Z? Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 23, 1952 Charles R. Pigorf mmvron.

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Patented May 26, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT ,OFFICE SAFETY ROPE "SOCKET FOR WELL TUBES Charles R. Pigott, McComb, Miss.

Application April 23, 1952, Serial No. 283,814

The present invention relates to new and useful improvements in safety rope sockets for use in lowering various types of tools used with oil and other types of wells.

Another important object of the invention is to equip the rope socket with safety locking jaws which are normally held in a retracted position at the sides of the socket by the weight of the tool attached thereto and providing spring means for projecting the jaws into gripping engagement with the well tubing should the rope become broken for any reason and to prevent dropping of the tool into the well.

Another object of the invention is to provide a safety rope socket of this character of simple and practical construction, which is strong and durable, efficient and reliable in operation, relatively inexpensive to manufacture and otherwise well adapted to the purposes for which the same is intended.

Other objects and advantages reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view;

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view taken on a line 22 of Figure 1 and showing the locking jaws in retracted position;

Figure 3 is a similar view showing the locking jaws projected for locking the socket in the well tubing;

Figure 4 is a transverse sectional view taken on a line 44 of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary side elevational view showing the removable screws on which the looking jaws are pivoted for convenient replacement thereof; and

Figure 6 is a transverse sectional view taken on a line 6-6 of Figure 1.

Referring now to the drawings in detail wherein for the purpose of illustration I have disclosed a preferred embodiment of the invention the numeral 5 designates the socket generally and which comprises a tubular casting which is internally threaded at its lower end, as shown at 6 for connecting various types of well tools I thereto.

The upper end of the socket is closed by a tapered head 8 provided with a vertical bore 9 through which a rope or cable I0 freely passes into the upper end of the socket and through a vertical bore I I in a connector I2 which is freely slidable in the socket. The lower end of the 3 Claims. (Cl. 25526 rope or cable I0 is knotted as shown at I3 to attach the connector I2 thereto.

A coil spring I4 is positioned in the upper portion of socket 5 above the connector I2 and is compressed by the weight of the socket and the tool I supported thereon.

The opposite sides of connector ID are formed with rack teeth I5 engaging teeth I6 forming gear segments at one end of locking dogs H which are pivoted at their upper ends provided with the teeth I6 on pins I8 removably held in the upper ends of slots I9 in the socket, the pins preferably being in the form of Allen-head screws 20 for convenient removal from the socket to replace the dogs IT. The lower ends of the locking dogs I! are formed with teeth 2|.

The lower portion of socket 5 is formed with a square wrench gripping surface 22 and head 8 at the upper end of the socket is formed with an under-cut shoulder 23 forming a catch for an overshot adapted to grip the upper end of the socket.

In the operation of the tool the socket 5 with the tool I attached at its lower end is lowered into the well and the weight of the socket and tool pulls the connector I2 upwardly in the socket to swing locking dogs I I inwardly in the slots I9 in a retracted position, as shown in Figure 2 of the drawings. Should the rope of cable I0 break, spring I4 then moves connector I2 downwardly in the socket and the rack teeth I5 of the connector engaging the teeth I6 of the looking dogs swing the lower ends of the locking dogs outwardly and cause teeth 2I rat the lower ends of the dogs to bite into the well tubing 24 and thus prevent the socket and tool from dropping in the well. The socket and tool may then be retrieved by an overshot of a conventional type dropped in the well to engage the shoulder 23 of the socket.

in view of the foregoing description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings it is believed that a clear understanding of the device will be quite apparent to those skilled in this art. A more detailed description is accordingly deemed unnecessary.

It is to be understood, however, that even though there is herein shown and described a preferred embodiment of the invention the same is susceptible to certain changes fully comprehended by the spirit of the invention as herein described and the scope of the appended claims.

Having described my invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. A safety rope socket for wells comprising a 3 tubular body adapted for attaching a well tool to its lower end and adapted for slidably receiving a rope in its upper end, a connector slidable in the body and attached to the lower end of the rope, a coil spring in the body above the connector and compressed by the load carried by the socket, rack teeth on the connector, and

a plurality of locking dogs pivoted in slots in the body and having teeth at their upper ends engaging the :raek teeth to swing the lower ends of the dogs outwardly into gripping --engagement with a well tubing upon downward movement relative to the body.

2. A safety rope socket for iwellszcomprising a tubular body adapted for attaching a well tool to its lower end and adapted for lid a3bly" receiving a rope in its upper end, aeconnector slidable in its body and attached to thel'ower end of the rope, a coil spring in the body above the iconnector and supporting the load carried by the socket, said spring reacting to move the con- 4 nector downwardly in the body when the rope breaks, said body having a plurality of vertical slots, locking dogs pivoted in the slots for outward swinging movement into locking engagement with a well tubing, and co-acting means carried by the connector and by the dogs for actuating the dogs in a locking movement upon a downward movement of the connector relative to the socket.

53. The tcorribi'nation or mlaiiin 2 'wviherein said "co-acting means'compiisesrackte'eth on the con- ,nector and gear teeth on the dogs engaged with each other.

CHARLES R. PIGOTT.

References Cited in the file of this patent I STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,212,962 Kuhns he Jan. 16, 1917 2,320,646 OLeary June 1, 1943 

